Heritage hot spots History, nature, art, environment

Fota House, Arboretum Gardens

What is it?Fota House was originally built as a hunting lodge for the Smith-Barry family, descendants of the Norman landowner Philip de Barri. It was converted to a Regency-style country house when John Smith-Barry decided to make the island estate his home, in the 1820s. It stayed in the family until the death of Dorothy Bell, in 1975. After that it had various owners, including University College Cork and the Fota Trust. It was taken over by the Irish Heritage Trust, restored and reopened in 2009.

Why visit?Fota House has more than 70 rooms reflecting the trends of the time, with marble columns, painted ceilings and extensive plasterwork. It was designed by the great Irish architects Sir Richard Morrison and his son William Vitruvius Morrison. An extensive collection of 18th- and 19th-century Irish paintings and furniture has been returned to the house through private and public funds.

The nameFota is derived from the Irish fod te, meaning warm soil – an attribute that means rare trees and shrubs thrive in the arboretum. These specimen trees were gathered by travellers to Asia and the Americas in the 19th century; they are now catalogued and conserved in association with the National Botanic Gardens, in Dublin, and the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh.

Why now?A new series of lectures on the culture of the big house, Art and Culture of the Anglo-Irish, will be held there on Thursdays (10.30am-2.30pm) from February 9th to March 8th. Themes to be explored include the Anglo-Irish class; the grand tours of Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries; house, kitchen and garden; diet, dining and the food economy; big-house literature and the re-emergence of the big house. Book on 021-4904739 or at shortcourses@ucc.ie.

How do you get there?The house, arboretum and gardens are on Fota Island, in Cork Harbour, 10km east of the city. Fota train station is on the Cork-Cobh line, a 15-minute walk from the house and gardens.

The arboretum and gardens are open all year, and admission to them is free. The house is closed until mid-March; from then until September, tours run from 10am to 5pm; admission is €6/€3/€4; families (2+3) €15; see fotahouse.comand fotalearningzone.ie.